8 Dead, 14 Injured in Church Bus Crash on I-40 near Knoxville

By Staff Writer

A bus transporting church members blew a front tire, crossed the grassy median of Interstate 40 in eastern Tennessee, clipped an SUV and collided with a tractor-trailer before overturning, CNN reported Wednesday.

The bus accident killed six of the 18 people on the bus, which belonged to the First Street Baptist Church in Statesville, North Carolina, along with one of the SUV passengers and the tractor-trail­­er driver, the Tennessee Highway Patrol reported.

The bus was carrying senior adults who are members of the Front Street Baptist Church in Statesville. A hospital spokeswoman told CNN that the church group was returning home from a trip to the 17th annual Fall Jubilee preaching and singing conference in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Fourteen people were injured, the highway patrol told CNN.

The wreck occurred about 2 p.m. in Jefferson County, about 40 miles east of Knoxville on I-40 near the split with Interstate 81.

I-40 was closed, and traffic was being detoured, according to state transportation officials. Authorities reopened the I-40 around 5:00 a.m. Thursday.

Investigators believe the bus driver lost control of the bus after a tire malfunctioned.

Being injured in a motor vehicle accident is especially traumatizing if it involved another driver and they were at-fault.

Expensive medical bills and car repairs, even with insurance, can be overwhelming, and not just from a financial perspective. Injuries to your head, neck and back can develop into permanent ailments that will affect the rest of your life.

Injuries caused by an auto accident can severely alter your life – missing work, requiring extensive medical treatment and enduring pain are a few of the dramatic changes you’re likely experiencing.

Car accident laws in Tennessee allow you to seek compensation for expenses, lost wages and pain and suffering from at-fault drivers, provided you can prove liability.

If you have a question concerning whether or not negligence plays a factor in your injury claim, schedule a free consultation with Knoxville-based car accident lawyers at Gilreath & Associates today.

And lastly, our hearts and prayers go out to all the drivers and passengers affected by this tragedy.

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